Safety Guidelines for Reducing Hazards in the Electrical Trade

Fatality reports for electricians are devastating, often listing slips and falls or electrocution as the cause of death. However, if the following safety precautions were in place and abided by, many of these deaths could have been prevented. Therefore the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to follow certain safety standards or pay a penalty. To protect your workers from devastating injuries and avoid significant financial loss, we’ve put together general safety measures that reduce hazards in the electrical trade.

1. Recognize Hazards

Before starting a job, it’s important to first recognize hazards within your work environment. This helps determine any areas that could result in injury or death. Hazards to look for include but are not limited to:

Inadequate wiring and insulation of wiring

Exposed or energized electrical parts, including overhead power lines

Improper grounding of equipment and circuitry

Overloaded electrical systems

Improper or defective equipment and ladders

Wet conditions

2. Evaluate Hazards

Once recognized, it’s important that each hazard is evaluated to identify how they can be controlled. Never ignore a sign of risk. An assessment of each hazard includes:

The seriousness of the hazard

Action needed to be taken to eliminate risk

3. Control Hazards

After hazards have been recognized and evaluated, you can employ safety procedures that minimize these risks and prevent injury or death. These should be followed and enforced at all times. Safety procedures should include but are not limited to:

Keeping a first aid kit at each jobsite

Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Isolating and insulating live wires and electrical parts correctly

De-energizing electrical devices before repair or service

Using “lockout / tagout” procedures

Grounding electrical devices and using GFCIs

Using overcurrent protection devices

Maintaining working condition and proper use of equipment

To create a safer environment, each worker needs to be trained in recognizing hazards, using equipment properly, and following the required safety procedures. If an injury or death does occur even with the proper safety procedures in place, having the right insurance can protect your business from serious financial loss. Workers’ comp insurance coverage, in particular, adds an extra layer of protection in case of an accident.